Wichita eagle., 1887-06-09
keeping out disreputable joints and holes


in the wall.
But all this is but space wasted. The
determination was had, and the job put up
to place the best and most decently gov
erned city in Kansas on par with
the worst. nor appeals, nor
extenuating circumstances nor facts counted
for anything.
1t is said that Bradford reported to his
superior that a majority of the business
men of Wichita favored a commission to
run the city; in other words that majority
of the business men of Wichita were
cranks and fanatics, controlled
by loafng demogogues, and the
sy spirits of secret organizations.
W hatever Attorney General Bradford or
any one else may have reported to the con-
trary the state executive board
are informea that nine out
of every ten of the bust
ness men of Wichita are utterly OPP
posed to police commission and ninety
nine out of every hundred of the men who
have made Wichita what she is today,
utterly repudiate every suggestion
looking to any such interference with
cur local affairs. This is
putting it mildly. But it cannot be new
to the state executive board. If they had
not known and had but intinated that
they wanted an expression or sentiment OF
our people and over the signatures OF each
man and woman they could have had 1t
on the briefest notice But they didn't.
Governor Martin declared before Bradford
came down that wichita wasn't big ger
than Kansas and that he wouldn't wait for
a petition if things were as represented.
Governor Martin himself had spent day
in Wichita not more than a week previous
to such declaration and we know he
found the presence of drunken men On
our streets no more numerous than in
Atchison or in Topeka.
In looking the matter all over we can
see nothing which our people need regret
so far as any action of their own is con-
cerned. We were sorry that The city ceun-
Gil repealed those old ordinances, not
that they amounted to anything,
but it proved an added ex-
cuse for 'the after action Of the state
officers. Our mayor is an honorable man
and our city council is made up of num-
Der of such men as would sacrifice every
thing but life itself for Wichita. Here are
their homes, their business, their all. They,
in conjunction with the mayor, would
have governed the city better, and prevent
ed the illicit sales of liquor more surely
than can any commission, simply because
they would have had the sympathy of all
the good men and women which no foisted
commission can have. There were few
low dives which had been spotted and il
hasn't been two weeks since the county at
torney informed the writer that he had go'
nearly en- ough facts and evidence togsther,
and that he would send up the whole gang
at one swoop at the earliest day. Not only
was the mayor and half of the city council
but recently elected, but all were anxious
to maintain the good name Of our city
The city attorney is prominent prohibi
zionist, as is the mayor. As for the EAGLE
it has always stood for the enforcement Of
the prohibitory law, especially against thu
joints; has upheld the courts and thei
officers in its enforcement. We have
been charitable to a faul
towards cranks, coakers and fanatics
excusing their extreme notions and action!
often, and were always lenient towards
those of our fellow citizens who, from thu
force of habit or education, have though
that their personal liberty and personal en-
ioyments were arbitrarily curtailed by law
OF course, the men who have gone out o.
their way to give Wichita this black eye
they and theirs, will deny, as untruthful
every word above written, but ninety pee
pie out of every hundred of the thirty FIVE
or forty thousand people in this city art
not only convinced Of the whole animus O.
this attempt to make the worl(
believe that we are unfit to govern ourselves
but the same proportion viii
believe us as against the assertions Of al
the ambitious demogogues and envious
newspapers to be found in Northeastern
Kansas and Western Missouri The EAGLI
has said very little about the matter so fal
and our people less, but the indignity, the
reproach forced upon us under the cover
of debasing and despicable law, is none
the less keenly felt Men who never
drank drop of liquor in their lives, wht
have advocated prohibition always, We
who are free American citizens denounc,
this interference with an emphasis fal
stronger than any language which this arti
Gle contains, but not stronger probably thar
this paper will contain before the wrong
has been righted
Wichita collected in police court during
May S2,27095, and still Col. Murdoch in
sists that the Salvation Army has freed
Wichita of Joints. "-Kiowa Journal.
Wichita through her legally constituted
authorities or otherwise has not collected ,
cent in the way of joint license under tn,
present administration. All that you heal
of Wichita's wickedness and of her defiance
of law are lies started in envy and backed
up by few dozen cranks at home and Of
ficials at Topeka We are no worse than